Tribe to review health care issues

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation is the only tribe scheduled to give testimony today to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on tribal health issues in Washington, D.C.

Anslem Roanhorse, director of the tribe's Division of Health, will report to the federal committee on the Navajo Nation's health care programs and current challenges.

Roanhorse joins a panel of national health care organizations including the National Indian Health Board, the National Steering Committee for the Reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, and the National Council on Urban Indian Health.

Indian Health Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will also be present.

In his written statement, Roanhorse stated that 77 percent of his division's operating budget is federally funded.

The division's operating budget totaled more than $79 million for fiscal year 2005, Roanhorse stated.

The division employs more than 1,000 people throughout the Navajo Nation and operates several prevention, health promotion, counseling and treatment programs.

Recruiting health care professionals and keeping up with the rising costs of health care have challenged the Navajo Nation's resources.

"Contrary to the goal of eliminating racial disparities in health care, American Indians including the Navajo people have experienced disparities in health care funding and other resources in the United States for many years," Roanhorse stated.

The Navajo Area Indian Health Service, for example, was funded at 55 percent of its projected need for the year 2003.

"As the testimony of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission underscores, this is unacceptable and it demonstrates a glaring injustice to fully funding Navajo health care needs," Roanhorse stated.

Federal employees, he stated, receive three times the amount of medical care dollars than the Navajo people.

"More health care funding equates to expanded health care services that will sufficiently meet the health care needs of the Navajo Nation," Roanhorse stated.

— To contact reporter Pam Dempsey call (505) 879-1707 or email pamelagdempsey@msn.com